Slow uptake for indigenous prisoner scheme

An employment and training program for indigenous prisoners has been completed by just two people despite the government spending almost $1.5 million on it.

A further 46 people are still undertaking the Time To Work program, which was announced in January, with the federal government insisting the bulk of the costs were upfront to help service providers get off the ground.

Liberal frontbencher Linda Reynolds told a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra on Wednesday that state and territory governments have been slow to take up the program, but defended it as a worthwhile Closing The Gap measure.